Things You'll Need:
- Earth-friendly cleaning supplies
- Plants
- Reusable water bottles
- Lunchboxes
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Step 1
Reuse paper. Classrooms are stuffed to the rim with paper, and much of it gets thrown away because many schools still don't have recycling programs due to their high costs. Children love to draw, so use discarded paper as drawing or scratch paper instead of throwing it away. Make sure the students use both sides of paper when writing.
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Step 2
Conserve water. If you have a sink in the classroom, make sure the students turn off the water while they are soaping their hands. See if your administrator would consider modifying the bathroom toilets to use less water, and check all water fountains for leaks.
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Step 3
Change habits. Plastic water bottles are common in classrooms, and so are brown paper bags used to carry lunches. Instead, ask the students to use reusable water bottles, and bring lunchboxes instead of paper or plastic bags. If you have windows that open in your classroom, try keeping them open instead of switching on the air conditioner. Try only using half of your lights or even installing a dimmer switch, if your administrator will allow it.
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Step 4
Change cleaners. There are dry-erase board cleaners that are friendly to the environment. Sure, they might be a bit more expensive, but by using them you are modeling by example the changes necessary to take care of our planet. If the students see you making changes, they will be more likely to do so themselves.
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Step 5
Take it home. If your school does not have a recycling program, take home any paper and recycle it yourself rather than throw it away. Ask the students to take home and recycle paper as well. Also consider lobbying for a recycling program in your school.
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Step 6
Add plants. Plants are not only beneficial to humans, but they make a classroom cozy as well. Brighten up your classroom and teach your students how to take care of plants at the same time by adding a few plants along your windowsills.
